Study of the sublethal effects of pesticide residues on predatory thrips is important for the design of integrated pest management programmes with biocontrol elements included. We estimated the sublethal effects of three concentrations of fenpropathrin and abamectin (LC₁₀, LC₂₀ and LC₃₀) on prey consumption rates of exposed females of Scolothrips longicornis Priesner and their offspring when fed on Tetranychus urticae Koch eggs. Prey consumption of female thrips was significantly affected by treatment with all concentrations of the two pesticides with the effect of fenpropathrin being more severe than that of abamectin. Regarding the offspring of treated females, the prey consumption by thrips larvae was adversely affected by both pesticide treatments with no major differences between the two pesticides. The sublethal effects of these pesticides should be taken into account in the planning of integrated management programmes.

Biological traits of Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) bagdasarjani Wainstein & Arutunjan when exposed to the false spider mite, Cenopalpus irani Dosse (Tenuipalpidae), as a food source were determined at 27±1°C, with 16:8 h L: D, at an average daily relative air humidity of 60±10%. The developmental durations of egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph stages and of all the juvenile phase (egg-adult) being 1.9±0.14, 0.9±0.05, 2.2±0.12, 2.5±0.12 and 7.6±0.18 days, respectively. Survivorship of the juvenile phase was 87%. Fecundity and daily oviposition rate was 33.8±2.60 eggs/female and 1.8 eggs/female/day, respectively. Oviposition period, adult longevity and total life span of females were 19.1±1.76, 36.8±1.88 and 44.3±1.84 days, respectively. The mean generation time (T), net reproductive rate (R₀) and intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) were 15.32±0.69 days, 14.38±1.11 female offspring and 0.174±0.005 day^-1, respectively. Daily prey consumption rates by T. bagdasarjani protonymphs and deutonymphs were 6.0±0.21 and 5.1±0.17 prey individuals/day, respectively. Protonymphs and deutonymphs of T. bagdasarjani preferred the larval stages of C. irani to feed. The results of this study suggested that C. irani is a suitable prey for T. bagdasarjani, and that the predator might play a significant role in preventing that prey from reaching even higher population levels than it does on apple in western Iran.

The tomato/potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli, has been a pest of crops such as potato and tomato in North America for nearly a century and recently invaded some parts of Central America. It invaded New Zealand in May 2006 and is now distributed in both the North and South Island. Before our study, there had been no reports of Amblydromalus limonicus feeding on the tomato/potato psyllid in the US or other areas. After the invasion of the tomato/potato psyllid into New Zealand, we have observed numerous populations of local A. limonicusattacking the tomato/potato psyllid on greenhouse capsicums and tomatoes in the greater Auckland region, providing a certain degree of natural control. In these areas, A. limonicus was common before the invasion of the tomato/potato psyllid. This new association between a local predatory mite and an invasive insect is now well established. A. limonicus cultures have been maintained on capsicums (and sometimes tomato) infested with psyllids in greenhouses for the last three years. Laboratory studies showed that A. limonicus adults could survive and reproduce on the eggs, and first, second, and third instar nymphs of B. cockerelli, as well as on sugar excreted by psyllids, while immature A. limonicus could complete development on the psyllid sugar and first instar nymphs of B. cockerelli. A female predator consumed on average 2.5 psyllid eggs, 2.1 nymph I, 0.5 nymph II, 0.03 nymph III and 1.6 psyllid sugar droplets per day. Given that A. limonicus can be mass-reared and is now commercialized, it offers a new opportunity for the biological control of this psyllid.

A revised diagnosis and key to the species of Afroleius Mahunka, 1984 is presented. Adults of Kilimabates polygonatus Mahunka, 1985 are redescribed, juvenile instars are described and the species is recombined as Afroleius polygonatus (Mahunka). The morphology of Afroleius undulatus (Balogh, 1959) is discussed. A new species Afroleius lucidus sp. nov. is described.

Two new species of oribatid mites of the family Scheloribatidae, Scheloribates costaricensis sp. nov. and Perscheloribates paraluminosus sp. nov., are described from leaf litter of secondary forest in Costa Rica. Scheloribates costaricensis sp. nov. is most similar morphologically to Scheloribates brasilosphericus Badejo, Woas & Beck, 2002, however, it differs from the latter by morphology of bothridial and adoral setae, length of prodorsal setae, body surface, structure of antero-ventral part of leg femora, and the presence of large tubercle on posterior margin of notogaster and well visible dorsal notogastral setae. Perscheloribates paraluminosus sp. nov. is most similar morphologically to Perscheloribates luminosus (Hammer, 1961), however, it differs from the latter by body length and color, structure of rostrum, length of rudimentary parts of translamellar line, and the presence of two longitudinal furrows in anogenital region.

Three new Aculops species (Eriophyidae: Phyllocoptinae) including Aculops menthafoliae n. sp., Aculopsconsoregalis n. sp. and Aculops coluteae n. sp. were identified from Mentha longifolia (L.) L. (Lamiaceae), Consolida regalis Gray (Ranunculaceae) and Colutea cilicica Boiss. & Balansa (Leguminosae), respectively, in Southwest of East Azerbaijan province of Iran. It is the first record of genus Aculops from Ranunculaceae and the first record of eriophyoid mites from Consolida regalis Gray. A key to the Aculops species collected in Iran is provided.

A new species of Brachytydeus Thor, 1931 (senior synonym of Lorryia Oudemans, 1925 sensu Kaźmierski), Brachytydeus persiaensis n. sp., is described and illustrated. It was collected from peach orchards soil in Shendabad, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.

A new species of the genus Eryngiopus Summers, Eryngiopus anatolicus sp. nov. collected from litter under Astragalus sp. from Turkey is described and illustrated.

The mite species Dolichomotes sinuspersicus Mortazavi & Hajiqanbar sp. nov. (Acari: Heterostigmata: Dolichocybidae) associated with Sinoxylon pugnax Lesne, 1904 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) is described form southern Iran. This finding presents the first evidence of the genus Dolichomotes Smiley, 1967 from Palaearctic realm, also first record of association between dolichocybids and beetles of the family Bostrichidae. A key to world species of the genus Dolichomotes is provided.

This paper re-describes Neoseiulus bicaudus (Wainstein, 1962), a newly-recorded species collected from Populus nigra L. var. thevestina (Dode) Bean from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. It also discusses minor morphological differences between the Chinese population of this species with Cydnodromus comitatus (De Leon, 1962), Amblyseius scyphus (Schuster & Pritchard, 1963), Amblyseius micmac (Chant and Hansell, 1971) and Amblyseius hirotae (Ehara, 1985), which were considered as the synonyms of N. bicaudus.

The genus Paragigagnathus comprises nine valid species across the world. Due to an inadequate original description, Paragigagnathus amantis (Chaudhri et al. 1979) from Pakistan was previously considered an uncertain inclusion within this genus. Here, this species is redescribed in detail and its placement within Paragigagnathus is confirmed. A table of comparisons between species of desertorum species group is also given.